Chair



(No Model.)

J. W.- CRAIG. CHAIR.

No. 446,249. Patented Feb. 10, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIA \V. CRAIG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.446,249,.dated February 10, 1891.

Application filed June 13, 1390.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIA IV. CRAIG, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates more particularly to a childs nursery-chair; and its object is to provide a simple mode of construction for articles of this class, which will allow of their folding and reduction to a small package suitable for traveling persons. T To this end and purpose my invention consists in making the chair of several flaps or panels of light material, which are hinged or hooked together and may be readily'detached and swung out of their respective planes, so as to cause the chair to collapse and its com ponent parts to fall fiat one upon the other.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the whole frame-work of my improved chair; Fig. 2, a plan of the same, partly folded, with the chair-back and arm-rests removed; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail view, in section and elevation, of the means I use for uniting the various parts of the chair. Fig. 4 is a detail view, in perspective, of one of the side frames, showing a panel in place and the groove in the frame for the reception of the panel; and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the seat-frame, also showing the ring G, provided with a cushion or pad.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

A, B, O, D, E, and F represent separate frames of a nearly uniform size, which, taken together, constitute the frame-work of the chair. By preference these frames are made of stout wire and quadrangular in shape 5 but they may also be made of wood or other suitable material and their form altered as may be found expedient.

The quadrangles A B C D are adapted to be joined to one another by means of hinges or links a and hooks Z), and when set up in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 they form the lower portion of the chair, their vertical Serial No. 355,362. (No model.)

sides standing for the legs and their tops and bottoms taking the place of the ordinary cross-bars.

The hinges a and hooks b are loosely fitted in grooves or depressions in the sides of the respective frames or between bosses formed thereon, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to prevent their displacement and at the same time allow the quadrangles the necessary play. The shape of these hinges and hooks might be altered if the chair were madeof wood; but they would perform the same functions.

As it is desirable to shut in the under side of nursery-chairs, this may be conveniently done by the use of panels of pasteboard I or other light material mortised in the sides of the divers quadrangles, care being taken to provide eyelets or openings for the insertion of the hinges and hooks. These panels are clearly shown in Figs. a and 5, the mortise in Fig. 4 being indicated by the letter cl and in Fig. 5 by the letter 6. A simple piece of canvas, carpeting, or cloth stretched across the frames and wrapped around and fastened to their sides would answer the same purpose.

E is the seat-frame, which is placed upon or between the tops of the frames A B C D and fastened to the front quadrangle B and to the chair-back F, described below. It is provided with a central ring G, corresponding to the central aperture common to chairs of this description, and this ring is held up by short arms or rods 0, projecting inwardly from the sides of the seat-frame. E also is supposed to be covered, with the exception of the central aperture, so as to provide a suitable seat, and such covering may be similar to the panels or screens used for the lower frames and set substantially in the same manner. The ring Gr may be padded or lined with any soft material, said padding being indicated by the letter J.

The frame F is a quadrangle having the general form of the others, except that it is made of two parts linked together at f for convenience in folding. It is connected toD and E by hinges a, and when in the position shown in Fig. 1 serves as the chair-back. It

is held up by arm-rests H H, provided at one end with hooks engaging its sides and linked at the other to the seat-frame E. These armrests are made, preferably, of stout wire bent IOO to the required shape and, although not shown, may be covered or padded in a similar manner to ring G. The frame F may be fitted with panels or covered in the same manner and with the same material as the other parts of the chair;

I need not describe the modem which my improved chair is set up for use, as this may be readily understood by a glance at Fig. 1, and shall therefore simply indicate how it is folded. The hooks Z) are first disengaged and the arm-rests detached from the chair-back and laid across the seat. The side A is next pushed in against the front quadrangle B and the side C out against the rear frame D, as represented in Fig. 2. The frames A and B are then swung up into the seat E over the arm-rests, and the quadrangles C and D down under the seat-frame. Lastly, the back- F is bent at f and brought down over the whole. Thus folded the chair may be put into a valise or done up in a package and easily transported from one localityto another.

I am aware that flaps made of one or more pieces may be used instead of the frames and panels or coverings above described, and that other changes may be effected in the parts now used without departing from the principle of my improvements; and I do not wish, therefore, to confine myself to the precise details of construction and the exact forms hereinbefore set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A nursery folding chair composed of four pivotally-connected flaps or frames constituting its lower portion, a similar horizontal frame forming the seat, said frame pivotally connected with the lower frames, a central ring, and arms connecting the central ring with the side pieces of the seat-frame, substantially as set forth.

2. A nursery folding chair composed of four open frames or flaps constituting its lower portion, double links fitting in grooves formed in two of the adjacent vertical side pieces of the lower frames, so as to form pivotal connections, and double hooks engaging the grooves in the other adjacent vertical side pieces of the lower frames, a horizontal seatframe, and double links for connecting the same with the lower frames, substantially as set forth.

3. A nursery folding chair havingits lower portion, seat, and back composed of a series of open pivotallyconnected frames, said frames having theirside pieces provided with mortises, in combination with panels fitting in said mortises, substantially as set forth.

4:. A nursery folding chair comprising a lower portion composed of separate flaps or frames hinged and hooked together, a centrally-apertured seat hinged to the top thereof, a chair-back hinged to said lower portion and seat, and arm-rests adapted to hold said back in position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

JULIA WV. CRAIG. [L. s] WVitnesses:

RR. STRAIN,

Tnos. S. HARLOE. 

